After a nearly 20-year absence, Speedway made a very popular return to the Del Mar Arena as part of a two-day flat-track event. The venue was the state-of-the-art Del Mar Arena, which, like Industry Speedway, has a roof that enables all-weather racing. The impressive venue and track really lent themselves to the sport well, as speedway impressed hundreds of first-time fans.

Saturday, January 17
The Saturday evening show saw 12 riders competing in two classes. The First Division class featured eight riders, with two semifinals and A and B finals.

Billy Hamill won heat one, ahead of 15-year-old protégé Dillon Ruml.

Heat two needed two restarts and featured a furious battle between young talent. Rocco Scopellite made a great gate but had rivals pursuing him both inside and outside. Russell Green made the first move, around the outside, on lap three; then Kurtis Hamill forced himself inside to follow Green home for a spot in the main.

Fifteen-year-old Gage Geist led home 2015 Dream Team member Dalton Leedy to win the B main.

Billy Hamill had an electric start from gate four to lead home the rest of the riders in the A main. Dillon Ruml, in just his second outing and his sixth race on the 500cc bike, came in an impressive second, holding Green to third.

Ricky Richards won both heat and main for the Support class. The initial heat had several position changes and the large crowd in attendance showed their appreciation. Richards’ main-event win earned him a wild card in the Division One B main.

Sunday, January 18
There was a smaller turnout for the early Sunday races, which started midmorning, but the quality of racing that the speedway portion of the program served was excellent, as riders became more familiar with the track.

Gage Geist showed his huge potential by winning all three Division One races, ahead of Russell Green and Dalton Leedy. Heat two was the highlight, with Leedy gating well and both Geist and Green picking him off, though Leedy did all he could to hold his position and make a battle of it.

In Support competition, Mike Wiley won heat one after Brad Moreau looped while leading, but Wiley’s damaged bike (from a crash in a First Division heat) meant he could not make the Support main, which was won impressively by Hayley Perrault.

[For more from this event, stay tuned for race coverage, results and photos to be posted soon on Today’s Cycle Coverage… Editor]